Middle East Desk
Report
TEHRAN: Iran will not accept U.S. demands that it reverse an acceleration of its nuclear programme before Washington lifts sanctions, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Friday. The demand “is not practical and will not happen”, he said at a joint news conference in Istanbul with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu.
The new administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has said Tehran must resume compliance with curbs on its nuclear activity under the world powers’ 2015 deal before it can rejoin the pact. Iran breached the terms of the accord in a step-by-step response to the decision by Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump to abandon the deal in 2018 and reimpose sanctions on Tehran. Earlier this month, Iran resumed enriching uranium to 20% at its underground Fordow nuclear plant a level it achieved before the accord.
However, Iran has said it can quickly reverse those violations if U.S. sanctions are removed.
“If the United States fulfils its obligations, we will fulfil our obligations in full,” he said.
Iran’s parliament, dominated by hardliners, passed legislation last month that forces the government to harden its nuclear stance if U.S. sanctions are not eased within two months.
Zarif also condemned U.S. sanctions against Turkey over Ankara’s decision to procure Russian S-400 defence systems.
“The U.S. government is addicted to sanctions … and this harms the world and the U.S. itself,” he said. Days earlier, President Hassan Rouhani’s chief of staff said the Biden administration was independent and will not follow all Israeli commands like the previous US government, after Israel announced it is revising attack plans against Iran.
Israel’s military is preparing “a number of operational plans, in addition to those already in place” in reaction to Iran boosting its nuclear programme in recent months, top general Aviv Kochavi said on Tuesday. His comments were seen as a threat to new United States President Joe Biden, who has signalled he wants to re-enter the historic nuclear accord signed between Iran and world powers in 2015. Iran’s presidential chief of staff Mahmoud Vaezi dismissed Kochavi’s remarks as “psychological war” and said Israel “in action, they neither have a plan nor the ability to carry it out”.
“Some officials in the Zionist regime think Washington would accept whatever they say,” he told reporters on Wednesday after a cabinet meeting. “But I believe the new US administration has its own independence – just like other countries have their own independence.” Vaezi said former US President Donald Trump had appointed his son-in-law Jared Kushner, who appeased Israel and carried out its will in Washington.
The official added Israel and others in the region such as Saudi Arabia are now lobbying against Iran in Washington, but “we mustn’t take such things seriously”. Vaezi pointed out that Iran held several military drills using missiles, submarines and drones in January, something he referred to “as a sign that we do not want war, but are serious in defending the country”. Asked by reporters about the Israeli military chief’s remarks, First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri said: “Israel is not at a level to threaten Iran.”
Biden has promised to revitalise Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers his predecessor unilaterally withdrew from in 2018, imposing harsh economic sanctions on Iran. But US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has suggested the process will be slow and the US will expect Iran to act first. Iran, meanwhile, has said it will recommit to all its nuclear promises if the US first removes sanctions.
